HIT PICK

Sympathy F, with Genuine, X LuLu, Terminal Hinge and Spoon Collection, Wednesday, August 23, at the Mercury Cafe, certainly deserves to have been chosen as one of five area finalists to compete in this, the Denver edition of the third annual Ticketmaster Music Showcase Tour. The bandmates have overcome an early musical personality crisis to emerge as one of the region's finer acts. Sympathy F's sound--passionate psychedelia delivered loud, which is just the way we like it--has grown more distinctive as its members' onstage demeanor has become more confident. We don't have a clue who'll win this contest, but you can bet these guys will put up a damn good fight.